Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Will Dean for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Will Dean does it again! I went into this book expecting a claustrophobic thriller and that’s exactly what I got from this. The Chamber hooked me from the very beginning and I was eager to continue reading. The chapters are short and suspenseful and the pace is quick and engaging, which was perfect for this twisty thriller. One of the things I really appreciated about this was the glossary at the beginning of the book that defines a lot of diving lingo to help provide context to what the divers are saying. I can tell there was significant research done to provide more to this atmosphere that Will Dean created. My only downfall with this was that the ending left me a little confused. I know ambiguous endings are a thing, but personally I felt like I needed just a little more clarity.

Will Dean certainly loves his ambiguous endings! No spoilers here, but I was certain the ending meant one thing until @planwithemm told me she thought differently.

THE CHAMBER is a locked room thriller on steroids, and this time the pressure is literal! Swipe for the synopsis, but essentially, four deep-sea divers are locked in a hyperbaric chamber on the ocean floor. When divers start dying, there's a four-day decompression required before the others can get out.

I loved how vividly this chamber was described. I could feel the anxiety of these characters mounting as the book went on, and was feeling a bit claustrophobic for them towards the end! Understandably, some characters began to go a bit nuts.

The technicalities of sat diving are explained really well, in a way that gets the gist across to someone like me who knows nothing about it without getting too caught up in explanations. The book has a glossary and images to help the reader out, too.

THE CHAMBER is a really fun read that will undoubtedly lead to some interesting discussions. If you've read it already, I would love to hear what you thought of the ending! If you haven't yet, it's out today. Happy reading!

4 out of 5 Stars!

When 6 experienced saturation divers go down for a routine mission, they realize soon enough it is anything but normal. Locked inside a hyperbaric chamber deep under the sea, one of them is found dead in a bunk. But they just can’t leave. They have 4 days to decompress before the chamber can be safely opened. Was it an unfortunate accident, or was someone taking them out one by one?

“The Chamber” by Will Dean is a book I haven’t ever read before! I got very educated about saturation diving along with unfolding a mystery. “The Chamber” is a very fast-paced thriller that left me with goosebumps. This book has suspense, twists, and a mysterious vibe to it. I truly felt like I was in the chamber along with the characters watching their fate unfold.

In my opinion, this book felt very repetitive. Maybe it’s on purpose, as working in the chamber comes with very repetitive tasks. But, I was just yelling at the characters to get on with it! If it was on purpose, I felt like the author could have made it more clear what the motive was. Also, this book was very confusing on different levels. Learning about saturation diving was so interesting, but there were a lot of terms thrown at you fast. There was a dictionary at the beginning of the novel with common terminology that was super helpful, but I felt like I was constantly flipping back and forth. Every main character has a real name along with a diving nickname, which I didn’t necessarily care for, as it was hard to keep track of all the names. I understand it’s realistic, but I didn’t like how the real names were introduced towards the end of the book after I had already gotten to know all the characters.

This was a very twisted, psychological thriller. Even though I guessed the big twist and the ending, I still did enjoy reading this book and learning more about the motives. Along with that, I really enjoyed the main character, Ellen. You learned a lot about why she became a saturation diver and the challenges that come with being a woman in a man’s field. Even without the main plot, I would have read a book just about her and her job.

Pick up “The Chamber” by Will Dean on August 6th, 2024!

Thank you to Atria Books, Will Dean, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This new thriller from Will Dean is a take on the “locked room” mystery and I normally love those. Unfortunately this one fell pretty flat for me. This is a veryyyyy slow burn, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but all of the details about saturation diving were boring to me. Also a lot of pages are taken up with the divers telling stories about their past experiences. The problem with this to me was that these stories didn’t really shed much light on the characters and just seemed like filler. This could have been better as a short story but it just went on too long with too little. I did enjoy “The Last One” by this author so I would probably still check out his stuff in the future!

I think this was a lot about grief. There’s a lot to do with it. This was a bit slower and more repetitive than I had hoped. I think the end scene where you’re desperate for them to leave and get out was the best part and the most suspenseful. But the very end was a little confusing to me and I didn’t know who did what.

The Chamber ☾𖤓
By Will Dean

What a ride ! I was panicking from the claustrophobia and it made it feel so real with this book! Everything about this thriller is great and I highly recommend

I had not read prolific author Will Dean before, so I decided to dive in with this nightmarishly claustrophobic undersea locked-room mystery, and a very excellent choice it was. Mr. Dean is a talented writer indeed, and his balance of the normal (from the divers' viewpoints) events on ship and below the North Sea against their varied onshore existences, relationships, inability to adjust to routine life, and then suddenly the terror commences, then continues to mount, as one after another is inexplicably and implacably struck down. As the Narrator-diver repeatedly points out, they can't escape until the decompression period is ended; they can't go undersea to work. They don't know it it's a medical issue, sabotage, or human premeditation that is felling them. What is left to do...but go mad??

The Chamber is a locked room thriller taking place undersea, in a diving chamber. They start with 6, but then tragedy strikes. Unable to immediately return to shore, the remaining divers must cope with their own humanity and their pasts, while trying to understand what was happening.

After reading and loving First Born then The Last One, I was so excited to receive this ARC! I was skeptical at it being another locked room, after The Last One, especially since First Born was not, so I know Will Dean is not a one trick pony.

Elements of The Chamber definitely left me anxious- mainly the setting. The thought of being trapped underwater, knowing an early escape may result in death so they truly have to wait it out…I’m pretty sure I have Thalassophobia, so no thank you.

But that was about all that I liked. A lot of the book was just memories, especially detailing previous traumatic experiences from war or other missions. I predicted the MCs trauma fairly early so it did not come as a surprise to me at all. I felt as though a lot of the memories and stories told made it hard to follow, too, as they happened seamlessly throughout the story.

I’m also very disappointed with the ending. I want a concrete ending. I want to know whodunnit it. And while I’m pretty sure, if I’m right I predicted it pretty early too. If I’m wrong, I need much much more information.

If this book had had a solid ending, it would have been at least 3 stars. It could have been more based on what the ending was, but I just wasn’t ready for that disappointment.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one… I have really liked Dean’s other books but this one just did not do it for me. The premise was good and I usually enjoy locked in stories but this was had so much technical information that I couldn’t focus on the actual mystery. I really didn’t connect with any of the characters and the ending was a bit confusing for me.

I think Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

This book took my breath away! The claustrophobia was real with this book. There were multiple points during this book that I truly felt a pressure in my chest like I was stuck and struggling to get air in my lungs. Everything about this thriller is absolutely perfect! It's a wonderful spooky-season read.

From the moment the hatch locked the anxiety mounted as I was propelled to the deep sea. If that weren’t enough tings turn very bad when a member of the team dies mysteriously. This book makes you feel as if you are there. This book was a great thrill ride.

I devoured this book in 16 hours. If you're looking for a "just one more chapter" marathon, look no further. The ultimate locked door suspense. Locked doors, at the depths of the sea, no where to go but up and it will take Days.

The Chamber by Will Dean is a gripping thriller set in the claustrophobic environment of a hyperbaric chamber. The novel follows six experienced saturation divers, who are used to the intense conditions of their work—hot, confined spaces, and the necessity of breathing helium. However, their routine is shattered when one diver is found dead in his bunk. With four days of decompression ahead before they can safely open the hatch, the tension skyrockets as another diver is found unresponsive.

Dean masterfully ramps up the suspense, keeping readers on edge as paranoia and suspicion fester among the remaining divers. The tight quarters amplify the sense of dread, making every moment fraught with danger. As the days drag on, the psychological strain takes its toll, leading to a nail-biting climax. *The Chamber* is a must-read for fans of high-stakes thrillers, blending elements of mystery and psychological tension in an unforgettable setting.

Thank you Will Dean, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Will Dean is excellent at orchestrating suspense and atmosphere, and he doesn’t disappoint with ‘The Chamber’.
Six ‘sat’ [Saturation] divers are on a boat heading out into the North Sea. Their job is to repair oil pipes 100 metres below sea. They can be working for days or weeks and the only way back to the surface is by decompression, a very slow, careful operation (too fast means death). Physical and emotional health, and the ability to work as a team, is crucial. But in this locked hyperbaric chamber thriller something goes seriously wrong and one of the divers is found unconscious. The divers are tested to their limits and beyond.
Dean has clearly done his research on how these jobs are conducted, what the equipment and vehicles look like, and especially, what exactly is a ‘sat’ diver and what does it take to be successful.
This is a claustrophobic, anxiety-ridden, atmospheric and intelligent thriller-- enthusiastically recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

A locked room thriller but make it a small hyperbaric chamber descending to the seabed...and one by one, each saturation diver mysteriously dies. There's no safe, fast way out because you're caged in the depths of the vast, dark ocean; the climb back up to the surface has to be slow and steady or you could die from decompression alone...what do you do??

Well, that was TERRIFYING! Will Dean has managed to write an atmospheric thriller that made me feel the claustrophobic heat of the chamber. I felt the pressure and suffocating horror of being latched into a tiny, enclosed space with no way out. I truly felt like I was one of the team, gearing up to dive to the bottom of the ocean, breathing in Heliox (for those that don't know, that's a mixture of helium and oxygen used as a breathing gas - I'm an expert diver now.)

The short chapters make this an easy read and the beginning will grip you right away. There are slow moving parts in the middle but the tension is still so palpable that you just have to keep reading. I would of liked less of the backstories from the divers' previous gigs/war stories. Dean clearly did thorough research so there is A LOT of hyperbaric chamber terminology and diving processes, which adds to the imagery. There is a glossary as well as a drawing labeling the chamber and its connecting parts. But, because of the jargon, I wouldn't recommend going the audiobook route unless you have a strong knowledge of sat diving. It can get confusing really fast.

AND THEN COMES THE ENDING...Why does he do this? As with his last book, The Last One, his endings RUIN the whole experience for me. Where we should of had a shocking twist, it's an anticlimactic ending. In this case, we don't get a grand reveal or finale...instead I'm left with so many questions!! WHY oh WHY when we could've had something good? I'm rounding my rating up to 3 stars because of the tense, vivid atmosphere and prickly feelings of paranoia I experienced while reading it. I'm hoping in his next book I can get a satisfying ending!

After reading a few Will Dean books in the past and enjoying them, I was looking forward to his latest novel. Unfortunately the writing was incredibly bland.

I went into this expecting a claustrophobic thriller and that is exactly what I got. This book focuses on making you feel the tension between the divers when someone or something kills one of them. I loved that Dean included a glossary at the beginning of the book so you could really immerse yourself in the life of a saturation diver. I would say he used the glossary terms a lot, so make sure you know them.

This book started off fast and kept a steady pace. I didn’t get attached to any of the divers, even though we got to hear about their traumas and diving experiences. I do think the plot points were pretty repetitive, but it kept me interested.

There were some twists throughout and I had no idea who to trust. However, I was pretty confused as to the “why” behind the ending. I liked the reveal but it needed more explanation. I also wish we got to see more sat diving since I found that so interesting. Overall, this book's setting is unique and I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. This book will be released on August 6th, 2024!

Read if you like:
🔑 Locked Room Thrillers
❓ Unreliable Narrators
💧 Underwater/Claustrophobic Spaces

The premise of The Chamber reads like the ultimate locked-room mystery. Six saturation divers are locked together in a hyperbaric chamber deep in the North Sea. One by one, they start dying off. Because rapid decompression would kill them all, they have to wait four days after the first body is found before they can safely rise to the surface, all the while trying to figure out who is behind the deaths and whether they will be the next to die.

The execution of the book is another story. While there is a glossary of terms included with the book, I still found myself needing to stop and Google certain terms and ideas to really gain an accurate picture of what was going on. This made it very hard to focus on, and get invested in, the story. I finally gave up on looking things up in an effort to just get through to the end and find out who was killing everyone. With less than 10% of the book to go, there was still no killer in sight. The ending was a let down. I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was, and I was right. I don't always mind figuring it out ahead of time when the storyline keeps me entertained, but in this case I was just doing my best to finish at all. I believe the amount of technical jargon used in the book is going to make this one hard to follow for many readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Will Dean, and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Reading this book was so enjoyable. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen and who was responsible. Ultimately, the ending was a little bit of a let down for me. So much build up to what happened and then very little in the way of explanation. I will continue to read everything this author writes though, because the storytelling was so gripping.

Six saturation divers are at the beginning of a job. They are locked in a small chamber, where they will live at the pressure they will be diving at. Even though they are still on the ship, with staff just a few inches away, they are effectively cut of from any immediate help.
Ellen Brooke is the only woman among the divers and one of very few women divers in the job. She brings a camcorder and plans to document the experience, in hopes of encouraging more women to join the Sat diver world.
Most of the divers have worked together before. The newest diver has only had one previous Sat dive job before.
Brooke and her dive partner are the first team down. Brooke does her shift, with her partner remaining on stand by in case of emergencies. It will be his turn out next, when their team's turn comes back around.
When they return to the ship something is wrong....one of the other divers never woke up. Sometimes a diver dies, perhaps a medical anomaly was overlooked? With the death of a diver the job is over. It takes 4 days to safely decompress the divers, before they can exit the chamber.....just enough time for another diver to die.
Is some one killing them? Is there an issue with the gas the divers have to breathe while under pressure? Is the danger from the outside? Or are they locked inside with their killer?

Thank you to Atria Books (An Imprint of Simon & Schuster) and Netgalley for the opportunity to enjoy this tension filled e-ARC thriller.

Read if you like:
🩳 Short Chapters
🗝️Locked Room Thrillers
💗 Heart Pounding Feeling
⁉️ Questioning Everything
🌊 Ocean/Submarine Setting
☠️ Why is everyone dying
🔍 Who did it?!

If you love books that leave you going what the hell actually happened and questioning everything and everyone, then Will Dean’s books are for you!

After reading The Last One last year, I knew I had to read The Chamber too, and Will Dean is now solidly a must read author for me!

I love the way you feel absolutely trapped, the pacing perfection with slow moments but built into short chapters that leave you saying, just one more chapter hoping for answers, but being left with more and more questions.

If you love ambiguous endings that make you wonder, what was real, what happened, who did what?! But really?!?!? Then this and Will’s other books will most definitely be for you!

I won’t say much about the actual plot, because I think it’s best to experience as I did blindly, but please check this one out if it sounds up your alley and you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you Atria for my gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review!